A group of Christian artists has teamed up with a global Bible translation non-profit organisation to translate the book of Psalms into Kaaps - a colloquial language spoken on the Cape Flats.

The South African chapter of Wycliffe Bible Translators approached the group more than two years ago, to help them with the translation, and this initiative has since evolved into the group calling itself Alive in Kaaps (AIK).

Apart from the translation, they also do dramatic reading of the Bible in Kaaps, and have become known for their song, Assitie virrie Here wassie (If it wasn’t for God), which was released in June last year.

“We initially came together in July 2022, under the auspices of Wycliffe, whose mission it is to provide every person a Bible in their own language. For a long time, the Bible has been written in a version that we cannot understand or relate. Wycliffe is currently focussing on minority languages. At church, we tend to preach or pray in fluent Afrikaans, but that is not how we speak at home. This is a long process. I know it took more than 30 years to translate the Neder-Duits Bible of the Nederduitse Gereformeerde (NG) Kerk into Afrikaans,” said Shawn George, the coordinator of AIK.

There were times when it had not been easy to agree on a particular word or description, he said.

“We have to take into consideration the background or context, and agree on what is acceptable within a religious space. This is a people’s language, and not often found in books. With our efforts, we hope to restore dignity, language and culture, so that others can stop rating us as second-class citizens - if at all.”

He added that because of the “creative thrust in the room” among the artists employed to translate the book of Psalms, “there was a natural gravitation towards converting those translations into songs”.

As the coordinator, he subsequently wrote and produced Alive in Kaaps, a musical production from which the group took its name.

“Our first production ran over two nights at the Father’s House Assembly of God (AOG) church in Heideveld, in April last year, and it was very well received.

“As a result of the success of the production and release of a very successful single, Assitie virrie Here wassie, we have, in the interim, performed, on request, for various audiences in and around Cape Town. This includes venues such as Artscape Theatre and the Joseph Stone Auditorium,” Mr George said.

The team consists of singers, poets, rappers and musicians, and they include Mr George, Lauren George, Edward Adams, Geraldine Adams, Vincent Voegt, Melanie Voegt, Adwine George, Shaundeon Afrika, Lizette January, Janine van Balla, Phebe van Balla, Keziah van Balla and Jonathan Mckay, .

Dr June Dickie, from Wycliffe SA, said they had completed the two-year project on Friday October 18 and hoped more funding would be generated so the work could continue.

“We have done all sorts of artistic creativity - lots of gesture work, a lot of listening and dramatic reading, as well as song. Although this is our core group, they go home and sing the songs and read the Psalms in Kaaps, and this is how their families and communities become more aware about it.

“This group will also be part of Wycliffe’s international conference that will be hosted in Johannesburg next month. This will be the first time this conference will be held in Africa. Being part of this also now gives Alive in Kaaps an international profile,” Dr Dickie said.

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